Exercise equipment
Occasionally a descriptive term in this application may be shortened so as to recite only a part rather than the entirety thereof as a matter of convenience or to avoid needless redundancy. In instances in which that is done, applicant intends that the same meaning be afforded each manner of expression. Thus, the term elastic member impinger tethering loop (33) might be used in one instance but in another, if meaning is otherwise clear from context, expression might be shortened to impinger tethering loop (33) or merely loop (33). Any of those forms is intended to convey the same meaning. The term attach or fasten or any of their forms when so used means that the juncture is of a more or less permanent nature, such as might be accomplished by nails, screws, welds or adhesives. Thus, it is stated herein that strapping (600), stitched in fastening loops at its (600) ends, is attached to the connection bar (21). A connection in which one object is easily removed from another is described by the word emplace, as where it is stated herein that an impinger (2) is emplaced in the channel nest (5) before tugging an elastic member (200, 201, 200) against it. Employment of the words connect or join or any of their forms is intended to include the meaning of both in a more general way.
The term rigid emplacement denotes a connection other than by attachment which, nevertheless, permits separation only with great difficulty or torturous manipulation. It is accordingly stated herein that the joining of a connecting node (62) of a handgrip stirrup (61) with a connecting well (65) of a rotable palm hold (64) is one of rigid emplacement.
The word comprise may be construed in either of two ways herein. A generic term used to describe a given one of a number of specific elements is said to comprise it, thereby characterizing the specific element with equivalency in meaning for the generic term. Thus, an impinger tether (4) may be said to comprise a tethering loop (33), meaning that in the particular case, the tether (4) is such a loop (33). However, the word comprise may also be used to describe a feature which is part of the structure or composition of a given element. Thus, an adjustable strapped handgrip assembly (20) may be said to comprise a connection bar (21), meaning that the structure of the handgrip assembly (20) is such as to have the connection bar (21) as a feature of its structure. The meaning in the respective cases is clear from context, however. Accordingly, modifying words to clarify which of the two uses is the intended one seem unnecessary.
The terms strapped and semi-rigid stirrup or any of their root variations as employed herein with reference to handgrip assemblies (1) denote the physical character thereof.
By strapped is meant the features provided for the most part by fabric materials subject to bending or folding. Handgrip strapping (600), for example, provides what is characterized in that sense. A prior art strapped handgrip (400) might, therefore, comprise a strap (600) run through a tubular palm hold (302) and connection means would be included at the point it (400) is joined by an elastic exercise cord (200) or other elastic member (201, 202).
A rigid stirrup handgrip (300), well known to prior art, might well be of solid one piece construction or might, on the other hand, similarly comprise a tubular hold (302). Foam padding might be provided for either type.
The term semi-rigid defines a object lacking pliability in general but which, although comprising significant resistance to bending, nevertheless, permits a lesser degree thereof. Thus, a handgrip assembly comprising semi-rigid stirrup configuration (10) allows its stirrups (61) to be bent slightly so that the distance between the tips is increased to allow the insertion of a rotable palm hold (64) therein.
The expression rotable when employed herein, or derivations of its word root, refers to structure which confers upon a given palm hold (64, 302) the property of axial rotation, or longitudinal spin. The tubular palm hold (302) of prior art, whether installed upon the enclosed stirrup of a rigid stirrup handgrip (300) or the strapping (600) of a strapped handgrip (400), comprises such property or function. So configured, those handgrips (300, 400) facilitate exercise, since without it (302), the operator (100) would be required often to shift his (100) or her (100) hands upon the handgrip (300, 400), as is indeed the case when grasping a one-piece rigid stirrup handgrip palm hold (301).
The terms interior and exterior when applied to a handgrip assembly (1) designates the portion of the grip identified with reference to the assembly""s (1) shape. Thus, the exterior channel end (8), ante, refers to the part of the channel (6) the elastic member (200, 201, 200) first penetrates at its (200, 201, 202) interface with a grip (300, 400). Running the member (200, 201, 200) through the channel (6) allows it to emerge at the opposite end thereof (6) referred to as the interior one (7). The interior end of the channel (6) is, thus, that which is inside a grip""s (300, 400) enclosed D-ring configuration. However, the words interior and exterior also are used equivalently with those of inboard and outboard. For example, in discussing the features of the connection bar (21) ante, those objects nearer the center thereof (21) are considered interior and those more remote thereto, exterior.
Rigid stirrup handgrips (300) comprising a U-shape and palm hold (301), together with cording of one sort or another have been well known for many decades. Even the substitution of elastic material for the cording, a break from traditional weight raising assemblies, now occupies a secure place in prior art. Handgrip (300, 400) and elastic exercise member (200, 201, 202) interface raised a challenge for a time, however. To avoid risk of injury, a cord expanding impinging plug (500) has successfully been employed by running a hollow cord (200) through an aperture in the handgrip (300, 400), forcibly fitting into its (200) end a plug (500) and then tugging it (200) back through the handgrip (300, 400) such that the part of it (200) containing the plug (500) butts securely against the grip (300, 400).
Materials now extant provide greater wear resistance to a cord (200) or other elastic exercise member (201, 202) and additional friction to prevent slipping. More recently, fabric strapping (600) has been employed to create a more flexible handgripped device usually comprising foam enwrapment for palm hold (301) comfort.
Elements other than the hollow cord (200) which are commercially available include elastic sheet (201) and elastic strap (202). Impinging plugs (500) cannot be employed with them (201, 202) because they (201, 202) comprise no site in which a plug (500) can be installed such as the hollow tubing of exercise cord (200). Experience has shown, however, that elastic sheet (201) is also used therapeutically with considerable success. For example, an operator (100) may wrap the sheet (201) around an injured limb to exercise it.
The security of an elastic exercise member, whether cord (200), sheet (201) or strap (202), has been but one of the problems, however. The operator (100) derives considerably more benefit if the member""s (200, 201, 202, respectively) length can be changed to suit individual needs. It is well recognized that an shorter elastic member (200, 201, 200) provides increased tension and a longer one (200, 201, 200) relaxes it. For some purposes, the former is desirable, while for others, the latter is. To avoid allowing some muscles to become stale, a mix of tensions during an exercise activity is always best.
The term effectual length, is used herein with reference to adjustments in length to an elastic exercise member (200, 201, 202). Of course, the actual length of the member (200, 201, 202) is fixed. The effectual length thereof is that which remains after adjustment, described ante, for active exercise use.
In many instances, elastic member (200, 201, 200) interchangability can be equally important to its (200, 201, 202) length adjustment. For example, if an operator (100) wished to exercise for a time with a member (200, 201, 202) of more or less elasticity, it would be extremely helpful if the mechanism in use permitted a quick interchange. The same would be true for an operator (100) of modest physical capabilities such as might be possessed by a child, manyxe2x80x94but certainly not allxe2x80x94females or those males who prefer an easier-to-pull elastic member (200, 201, 200). Should such an operator (100) wish to employ the equipment after use by another (100) for whom more turgidity was favored, convenience in interchangability becomes a very useful feature. Elastic members (200, 201, 200) are currently available in a variety of degrees of resiliency and color coded for such purpose.
Where elastic member (200, 201, 200) interchangability is sought for, of course, both ends thereof (200, 201, 200) must be separated from the handgrip assembly (1). Where, on the other hand, mere length adjustment is operably undertaken, only one end of the elastic member (200, 201, 202 need be manipulated. The other end may be knotted or, if comprising hollow cord (200), stoppered by the impinging plug (500) known to prior art.
Where elastic exercise exercise members (200, 201, 202) are concerned, therefore, there are two objectives which present an innovative challenge: Length adjustment and interchangability. It should be recognized, incidentally, that in order to provide quick interchangability to a hollow elastic cord (200), it (200) must not be stoppered by an impingement plug (500). Any such plug (500) suited to its (500) purpose, is too deeply embedded within the cord (200) to be removed without great difficulty.
In the same way elastic exercise member (200, 201, 202) length adjustment and interchangability have become important, so too has the matter of economical manufacture of a handgrip assembly (1) comprising reliable palm hold (301, 302) rotability and ease of assembly. While the tubular rotable palm hold of prior art (302) provides sufficient rotability, difficulties in manufacture are inherent, not unlike those of the well known ship in a bottle or the woodcarving of a sphere within a cage. If, for example, one wishes to manufacture a tubular rotable palm hold (302) upon a prior art rigid stirrup handgrip (300), it will probably become necessary either to render the stirrup of the handgrip (300) in two pieces and reattach them following emplacement of the tube or to split the palm hold (301) longitudinally and force it (301) somehow upon the handgrip (300) such that it (300) recovers the tubular shape it (301) previously comprised but momentarily lost during assembly. The manufacture of a tubular palm hold (302) for a strapped handgrip (400) is, of course, less challenging requiring only that it (302) be emplaced prior to stitching up the looped ends of the handgrip strapping (600).
In either case, however, whether the manufacture of a tubular palm hold (302) has to this time been conducted upon a rigid stirrup handgrip (300) or a strapped one (400), it is not feasible to replace it (302) if broken or otherwise damaged. Thus, should even the foam enwrapment encircling it (302) become useless because of wear or tearing, applicant is aware of no previous satisfactory restorative solution for the problem. What is required is a handgrip assembly (1) for which a palm hold (301) is made rotable while firmly connected to a rigid handgrip stirrup (300) but, nevertheless, separable from it (300) in some manipulative manner, albeit with sufficient difficulty that it cannot accidently occur during use.
Objectives to a truly useful handgrip assembly (1), therefore, should ideally address all three of the addressed objectivesxe2x80x94quick length adjustment of the elastic exercise member (200, 201, 202), facilitated interchangability thereof (200, 201, 200) and rigid stirrup palm hold (301) rotability and disassembly.
U.K. Patent No. 27,611 issued to Bussey is characteristic of the first approaches to cord xe2x80x94handgrip (300, 400) interface. Because inelastic cord was employed, mere knotting was considered sufficient. U.K. Patent No. 16,404 issued to Wieland; U.S. Pat. No. 1,112,114 issued to Caines and U.S. Pat. No. 1,965,511 issued to Preston featured hooks and eyelets to that end.
U.S. Pat. No. 196,324 issued to Barnett features a 19th Century solution to the jump rope connection interface problem in which an inelastic cord is doubled over and embedded within a plug (500) which is glued in place, the opening being merely capped off with a sealing plug. U.S. Pat. No. 232,579 issued to Weeks illustrates a braided rope connection to rigid stirrup handgrips (300) with a system of snap-hook connections at intermediate places along a series of interconnected cords (200). U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,907 issued to Zito illustrates a metallically clamped doubled over cord (200). U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,867 issued to Hinds, also the applicant herein, illustrates rigid stirrup handgrips (300) secured by impingement plugs (500) inserted within the tubular elastic cord (200). U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,248 issued to Vani provides strapping (600) for a strapped handgrip (400) with foam enwrapment for a tubular palm hold (302) and plug (500) stoppered elastic tubing (200) run through grommets. None of the foregoing permit either length adjustment or interchangability of the elastic exercise member, whether cord (200), sheet (201) or strap (202).
Two patents of greater interest have emerged, however: U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,677 issued to Hinds, also the applicant herein, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,532 issued to Kropp. Both patents disclose what is described herein, ante, as an elastic exercise member impinger.
The claims of the Hinds patent addressed innovations therein other than an object dedicated to impingement of an elastic exercise member (200, 201, 200). The impinger (3), however, is presented therein only as a drawing without elaboration and, therefore, of undeterminable merit. In its (3) present form as set forth herein, one readily observes its (3) real structure and importance. It (3) comprises a significant improvement to what was disclosed therein.
The Kropp patent was issued based upon claims addressing an impinger of sorts (701). There is no specific reference to a configuration which is spherical (91) or to one which is, for example, lozenge shaped (92), a truncated sphere (93), ovate (94)xe2x80x94that is, like an eggxe2x80x94or bean shaped (95). These configurations are further addressed herein but are generally recognized for what they are by most.
Because the object (701) claimed in the Kropp patent is merely xe2x80x9cball-shapedxe2x80x9d, it remains unclear whether anything beyond an amorphous mass, for which the term xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d is frequently used in colloquial parlance, was intended. Kropp also claimed xe2x80x9clocking meansxe2x80x9d which are unsupported by antecedent precedent in the disclosure. In short, there appears both in the disclosure and drawings therein antecedent support only for a shape which is designated therein as xe2x80x9cfrusto-conicalxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94that is, a truncated cone.
Experience has demonstrated that an elastic exercise member (200, 201, 202) impinged upon by an emplaced conical object, truncated (701) or otherwise, even in a tapered nest (100) as shown in Kropp, tends to become unsuitably abraded where at the seating situs it (200, 201, 200) is borne upon by the object""s (701) angular edges. The property of roundness or arcuitry for the edge which contacts the elastic exercise member (200, 201, 202) in impingement would, if provided, be highly preferred to the straightness comprised by a truncated cone (701).
Arcuate or rounded configuration would permit the impinger (3) to contact the elastic member (200, 201, 200) in a manner less likely to abrade it (200, 201, 200) by reason of sharp marginal edges such as those comprised by the truncated cone shaped one (701)xe2x80x94sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cfrusto-conicalxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94of prior art. An arcuate or rounded edge would also seat against the elastic member (200, 201, 200) in an optimum manner, depending upon the mutual positioning of the two (3 and 200, 201, 202, respectively), whereas the straight edge of prior art comprised by a truncated cone (701) necessarily seats in singular fashionxe2x80x94always along its (701) straight side. An arcuate edge would, if provided, comprise the highly beneficial property of seating against the elastic member (200, 201, 200) within the elastic exercise member channel (6) along a circumferential line comparable to the latitude lines or equator of a globe.
Applicant has resolved that the distinct advantages of employing an elastic exercise member impinger (3) comprising a rounded or arcuate exterior should be brought to public attention.
While the historical developments supra have fairly well addressed the matter of elastic cord (200) and handgrip (300, 400) interface for security purposes, the problems of quickly adjusting length of any elastic exercise member, whether cord, sheet or strap (200, 201, 202, respectively) or interchanging one of them (200, 201, 200) for another (200, 201, 202) and palm hold (301, 302) rotability and disassembly for rigid stirrup handgrips (300) remain. The needs or objectives pointed out supra thus far remain only partly addressed in the prior art. Some, such as that just immediately addressed, have not been met at all.
The invention is an exercise handgrip assembly (1) having application to either of two adjustable subassemblies, each derived in part from prior artxe2x80x94the first comprising semi-rigid stirrup configuration (10) and the second, strapped configuration (20) wherein handgrip strapping (600) is employed.
One of the invention""s main features comprises a member impinger (3) for use in quickly and conveniently adjusting the effectual length of an elastic exercise member (200, 201, 200) secured between the handgrip assembly (1) pair or interchanging such members (200, 201, 200). The impinger (3) becomes seated in a nest (5) disposed within the member channel (6) such that it (3) squeezes against the elastic member (200, 201, 202) and is retained there (5) during exercise.
In an adjustable handgrip assembly comprising semi-rigid stirrup configuration (10), the prior art fully tapered nest (100) or parallel walls of the elastic member channel is modified to provide any one of a number of improved nests (5) comprising configurations including concave (51), convex (52) or partially tapered (53).
In an adjustable handgrip assembly comprising strapped configuration (20), the nest (5) reposes within an elastic exercise member channel (6) disposed within a connection bar (21) configured also to both accommodate the handgrip""s strapping (600) and provide a situs for elastic member (200, 201, 202) security. It is the impinger""s head (31), comprising any of a variety of arcuately edged configurationsxe2x80x94spherical (91), lozenge shaped (92), truncated sphere (93), ovate (94) or bean shaped (95)xe2x80x94which accomplishes the impinging task.
In addition to the head (31), the elastic member impinger (3) also comprises a stem (32) and impinger tether (4). The latter (4) is configured either with a tethering loop (33) and impinger connector guide (34) combination or with a tethering stop (43).
The invention also comprises a rotable palm hold (64) for use upon an adjustable handgrip assembly comprising semi-rigid stirrup configuration (61). The palm hold (64) and stirrup (61) are so configured that the two (64, 61) may be firmly joined in manufacture by means of rigid emplacement as that term is defined herein. The palm hold (64) may be fitted in manufacture with either a foam sleeve (10) or one comprising a rigid shell (71).
A rotable longitudinally split shell sleeve (81) is also featured herein which may be rigidly emplaced upon a one-piece handgrip (300) of the sort known to prior art